Following arrest of journalists, IFJ calls on authorities in Andhra Pradesh state "not to allow laws against hate speech to be used as an instrument for silencing critical voices in the press"

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(IFJ/IFEX) - The following is a 25 June 2008 IFJ media release:

IFJ Condemns Arrest of Journalists in Hyderabad City

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the arrest of the editor and two reporters of Andhra Jyoti, a Telugu-language daily published from Hyderabad and various other cities of Andhra Pradesh state in India, under a law prohibiting insults to the dignity of people of lower ritual status in the Indian caste hierarchy.

According to information received by the IFJ, K. Srinivas, the editor of the daily, and two reporters, Kumar Vamshi and N. Srinivas, were remanded in custody after their arrest by Hyderabad city police late on June 24.

The police reportedly had no arrest warrant and merely said they had evidence of a violation under the law.

The background to the arrests is a May 26 attack by activists of a community-based organisation, the Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti (MRPS), on the offices of Andhra Jyoti in Hyderabad and two other cities in Andhra Pradesh.

The attack, which caused serious injuries to staff members and extensive damage to property, was ostensibly in retaliation for an editorial in the newspaper that criticised the MRPS leader over his recent political stances and statements.

The IFJ is informed that there was nothing verging on an insult to the community in the editorial.

Following this incident, employees of Andhra Jyoti were joined by various journalists' unions in a protest demonstration to demand action against those responsible for the attack.

The complaint that forms the basis for the arrest of the three journalists yesterday arises from certain acts that allegedly took place during this demonstration.

The IFJ is informed by K. Sreenivas Reddy, General Secretary of the Indian Journalists' Union, an IFJ affiliate, that there is no legal basis for the complaint, since the journalists were merely expressing indignation over the May 26 attack.

"No evidence of any insult to the community by the three journalists has come to light," he said.

"The IFJ calls on authorities in Andhra Pradesh not to allow laws against hate speech to be used as an instrument for harassing and silencing critical voices in the press," IFJ Asia-Pacific said.

Authorities continue to use sedition and criminal defamation laws to prosecute citizens who criticise government officials or oppose state policies. In a blow to free speech, the government in 2016 argued before the Supreme Court in favour of retaining criminal penalties for defamation. The court upheld the law.

In the 27 cases of journalists murdered for their work in India since CPJ began keeping records in 1992, there have been no convictions. More than half of those killed reported regularly on corruption. The cases of Jagendra Singh, Umesh Rajput, and Akshay Singh, who died between 2011 and 2015, show how small-town journalists face greater risk in their reporting than those from larger outlets, and how India's culture of impunity is leaving the country's press vulnerable to threats and attacks

The government uses draconian laws such as the sedition provisions of the penal code, the criminal defamation law, and laws dealing with hate speech to silence dissent. These laws are vaguely worded, overly broad, and prone to misuse, and have been repeatedly used for political purposes against critics at the national and state level.

Despite its Constitutional commitment to free speech, India’s legal system makes it surprisingly easy to silence others. Routine corruption, inefficiency, and the selective enforcement of vague and overbroad laws allow individuals, or small groups, to censor opinions they find distasteful. - See more at: http://www.pen-international.org/the-india-report-executive-summary-and-key-findings/#sthash.TIIM2xbu.dpuf

The media in Tripura is still dependent on the government for financial help, giving them an unprecedented upper hand to control press freedom in the state. As long as the political party in power is satisfied, the media is deemed to be okay otherwise there is an incredible pressure on the journalists as they have to not only endure insults but also face demotion in rank as well as being refused accreditation. - See more at: https://samsn.ifj.org/media-in-north-eastern-state-of-tripura/#sthash.0GypROMb.dpuf

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